1. Technical Field
This invention relates to horse hoof protection, and more particularly to improved methods and products for the cushioning of the horse""s hoof and the blocking of ingress of harmful debris into the sensitive frog portion of the hoof.
2. Related Art
Webs of leather, plastic or rubber, called pads, attached to the hoof wall, and sized to extend across the hoof sole and cover the frog portion of the hoof are sometimes inserted under the horseshoe to protect the sensitive areas of the hoof Moisture or debris sometimes work their way into the open volume defined broadly by the hoof bottom wall comprising the hoof sole and frog, causing discomfort or harm to the animal. Efforts to fill the volume have involved adding resins to the sole and covering with the web. These expedients have not proved successful because of difficulties in handling the resins, available resins having too high viscosity to permit readily filling into the horse hoof volume, persistent resin tackiness, lack of fill of all interstices or voids within the volume, and undue final hardness of the resin. Further, known resins do not adhere to the web used to cover the hook frog, leaving space between the resin mass and the web or pad for incursions of debris.
It is an object of the invention to provide protection for horses"" hoofs, and cushioning for horses"" steps. It is a further object to provide a hoof packing method and product that flows easily and readily into the hoof volume and the interstices thereof yet sets up nearly immediately to a firm, somewhat resilient mass that adheres to the hoof volume walls against loss of the mass or incursions of debris. The invention method and product avoid the difficulties of resin tackiness, incursions of debris from loose or incomplete fill, undue hardness in the resin, and handling problems arising from use of putty-like or heavier resins which must be packed in rather than flowed in. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of injecting resin into the volume defined by the hoof bottom wall, e.g. under a protecting web on a horse hoof or without such web, in which the interstices and surface voids of the volume are completely filled so that there is no incursion of debris, no handling problems with pasty or tacky resin systems, and the final result is a softer and more resilient mass than the horse hoof wall, the mass even being transparent to permit viewing of the horse""s sole. Further it is an object to adhere the web or pad to the resin mass, making the hoof protection unitary and completely blocked against debris intrusion.
These and other objects of the invention to become apparent hereinafter are realized in the method of protecting a horse""s hoof, including cleaning the open volume formed by the hoof bottom wall of debris, incorporating a rapidly curing synthetic organic resin into the volume, the resin having a viscosity such that the resin freely conforms to the contours of the hoof bottom wall, and curing the resin to a void-free solid in situ in hoof bottom wall adhering relation.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the method further includes selecting a urethane resin as the synthetic organic resin, the resin adhering to the hoof bottom wall; selecting as the synthetic organic resin an injectable resin, and injecting the resin into the volume against the hoof bottom wall in conforming relation therewith; and, where the volume has an open mouth, including also fixing a web across the volume open mouth, and thereafter incorporating the synthetic resin into the volume under the web, and curing; and, selecting as the synthetic resin a urethane resin having a cure time of less than about 2 minutes, tile cured resin adhering to the hoof bottom wall and said web.
In a further embodiment, the invention provides the method of protecting a horse""s hoof having a hoof bottom wall forming an open volume, including cleaning the open volume of debris, fixing a web across the open volume, and incorporating a free-flowing, rapidly curing synthetic organic resin adherent to the hoof wall under the web and into the volume in hoof bottom wall conforming relation, and curing the resin to a void-free solid in situ adherent to the hoof bottom wall.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the invention method can include fixing the web in place with nails, fasteners, adhesive, or otherwise into the hoof bottom wall; fixing the web to the hoof with a horseshoe secured to the hoof bottom wall; selecting as the resin a urethane resin, selecting as the urethane resin a urethane resin having a cure time of less than about 2 minutes; or, preferably, selecting as the urethane resin a urethane resin having a cure time of less than about 25 seconds; hydraulically filling the volume with the resin and adhering the resin to the web against debris incursions between said web and said resin.
In either or both of the foregoing embodiments, typically, the method includes selecting a resin which when finally cured is softer than the horny wall of the hoof and cushions the hoof against shock; and, selecting a resin which is transparent or at least translucent when cured, so that the hoof sole is visible through the resin.
In a further embodiment, the invention provides the method of protecting a horse""s hoof having a hoof bottom wall defined by the hoof frog and sole and forming an open volume, including combining from a pair of cartridges into a static mixer separate reactive resin components forming a rapidly curing synthetic organic resin in an amount suitable for hydraulically filling the volume, conforming the resin to the contours of the hoof bottom wall, and curing the resin to a void-free solid in situ.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the method includes adhering the synthetic organic resin to the hoof bottom wall during resin cure; and, covering the open volume with a web comprising leather, rubber or a synthetic organic resin, the web being adhered to the resin.
In a further embodiment, the invention provides a protected horse hoof comprising a hoof and a hoof bottom wall forming an open volume and a void-free, solid synthetic organic resin conformed with and adhered to the hoof bottom wall in volume filling relation such that the hoof volume is free of unfilled voids and interstices.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the synthetic organic resin within the volume is covered by a web fixed to the hoof, the cured synthetic organic resin is softer than the horny wall of the hoof and cushions the hoof against shock; the synthetic organic resin is formed from reactive resin components injected into the volume at a viscosity adapted to substantially fill the smallest spaces in the volume and conform to the hoof bottom wall surfaces in adhering relation; the synthetic organic resin is a urethane resin; and the resin is sufficiently transparent that the horse hoof sole is visible therethrough.
In yet another embodiment, the invention provides the method of protecting a horse from injury during walking or running, including filling the open volume defined by the horse hoof wall with a synthetic organic resin, such as a urethane resin, which cures to be softer than and adherent to the horse hoof wall, and curing the resin to a void-free solid in situ.